The Flavor of Sin

I don’t own Naruto nor do I make money from it.



AN: I'm so sorry for the wait. I've had a lot of things I've been taking care of and now that I take commissions, some times I have a lot of people waiting on me. You'll just have to bear with me XD Thanks for reading.



Warnings: violence, cursing, drama, blood, incest



The Flavor of Sin



Chapter Thirteen



Itachi glanced up from his home office as Naruto came bounding in. He arched a brow when Naruto shuffled to a position by the desk before stopping. He still wasn’t sleeping as well as Itachi would have liked. His eyes continued to bear the dark marks of an insomniac. The small cat naps he caught during the day weren’t enough to replenish the energy someone like Naruto needed.



“You still aren’t sleeping.” Itachi closed his laptop. It was almost time to dress for the dinner party the three of them were attending though he highly doubted they would be there long enough to eat.



Naruto waved off the comment. “You know me…I’ve energy to spare.”



Itachi grunted, pulling Naruto onto his lap. “So you say.”



“It’s the truth.” Naruto pouted a bit before nuzzling against Itachi’s neck. “Tachi…can I ask you something?”



“Of course.” Itachi pushed Naruto back to stare into the pretty blue eyes. “What is it?”



“Well, it’s just…I don’t know…am I as important to you as Sasuke?” Naruto nibbled on his lip though he didn’t break eye contact.



Itachi frowned, tightening his hands on Naruto‘s arms. “Why do you ask?”



“No reason. It’s just that sometimes I feel like if you had to choose between us…” Naruto shifted on Itachi’s lap as his words trailed off.



“But I don’t have to choose between you.” Itachi stated, his hand reaching up to fist in Naruto’s hair.



“I know…but if you did…who would you chose?” Naruto attempted to pull away.



“I wouldn’t. Naruto…stop doing this to yourself. I will never let you go. Even if you wanted it, you are mine forever. Sasuke probably has more freedom to leave me than I would allow you.” Itachi rubbed his nose along Naruto’s neck, breathing in the smell of soap from the slightly damp skin.



“Because you bought me?” he whispered.



“No. Because I was your first. I don’t want anyone else to taste you but me and Sasuke. You are my caramel. Only mine. I’ll never let you go. I will never let Sasuke go either.” Itachi smiled, nipping at the skin before pushing Naruto from his lap. “I need to dress.”



“Itachi…why are we going? I thought you didn’t have business with Michaels Inc.” Naruto trotted along beside Itachi, entering the bedroom to see Sasuke buttoning up his dress shirt.



“I have business with them tonight.” Itachi smirked, disappearing into the bathroom.



“Yeah, well you owe me for this. You know I hate this type of shit. It’s just like those boring parties Mom and Father used to take us to.” Sasuke shouted at his brother before setting about checking his appearance in the mirror.



Itachi ignored his brother. Tonight was nothing like those parties his father dragged him too. A prize colt shown off to his father’s business associates. Sasuke didn’t know the half of it. Father’s complete obsession with his oldest son left Sasuke mostly free from the boring dinners, shows, and lunches Itachi was forced to attend from age eight. If his manners weren’t perfect or if he spilled his drink, there would be hell to pay when they arrived home. His father wasn’t a bad man. He made sure they were taken care of. He never raised a hand to any of them though, the emotional suffering Itachi went through in his goal to be perfect for their father was extensive. It made him hard. Only Naruto and Sasuke were allowed to see beneath the shell.



Groaning low, he dipped his head beneath the water. The spray of water pounded heavily on his body, loosening tight muscles. The suds from the soap slid downward, taking the dirt of the day with them. It was rare for him to be in this pleasant of a mood but his plans for the evening had him delightfully happy.



He’d considered leaving Naruto and Sasuke at home. He wasn’t sure how that woman would react to seeing Naruto, and Sasuke’s balance was still off. If she made an attempt to hurt him, he would be at a disadvantage.



In the end, he chose to bring them. They needed to see what would happen if anyone tried to hurt them even if by mistake. Bernadette Michaels’s intentions were not innocent when she hired someone to tamper with his cars. She was just as much to blame for Sasuke nearly dying as was the man whom she paid to do the deed. She would get her comeuppance. If Sasuke had died…she wouldn’t be alive.



He closed his eyes to the rush of power brought on by his thoughts. It was a heady feeling to be so in control of the life of another. He understood the absolute power rushing through him. While it tasted sweet, he was no fool. He would not allow this to feeling to escape his control.



“Itachi…it’s getting late.” Naruto pouted from the bathroom door, already dressed in his suit, orange tie draped around his neck.



“Very well.” Itachi sighed, flicking the water off and wrapped a towel around his hips while using a second to dry his hair.



He picked up the hair dryer before running a brush through his hair. Hearing the snickers coming from Naruto, he turned with an arched brow. “What?”



“Just you primping in front of the mirror. Usually you let your hair air dry. Just the sight of you with a hair dryer is funny.” Naruto chuckled.



“Hn. Go pick out a tie for me.” Itachi grumbled, returning to his ‘primping’.



It was the bane of long hair but tonight it couldn’t be helped. He’d spent too much time going over the information Kakashi had provided. As a result, he was forced to blow dry his hair instead of letting it air dry. At least he didn’t have to worry about make up. Some men might use concealer but Uchiha were blessed by very good genes. Even their mother, a distant family relation rarely had to wear more than eye shadow and lipstick.



Itachi stared into the mirror as he pulled his hair into its normal tie. He looked a lot like their mother. Both he and Sasuke strongly favored her in the face. The only difference between him and Sasuke was that Itachi had his father’s deep set, intense eyes while Sasuke’s were identical to their mother’s.



“I have your tie. It’s perfect.” Naruto grinned, holding up a black tie with tasteful swirls of blue and orange.



Itachi arched a brow. “I didn’t realize I possessed a tie like that.”



“Well…that’s because I haven’t given it to you yet.” Naruto grinned.



“I see.” Itachi took the tie from the offered hand. Despite the mesh of color, it was a very attractive tie. It was like a physical symbol of their relationship. Itachi and Sasuke were the blue and black while the orange represented Naruto. The orange stood out from the two more sedate colors while still blending together attractively.



Naruto grinned before grabbing his own bright orange tie. He only had one tie since he disliked suits in general. He was only wearing one tonight because Itachi insisted. Itachi chuckled as he watched Naruto attempt to follow Sasuke’s lead in adjusting his tie. It was a worthless endeavor.



“Moron, let me do it.” Sasuke hobbled to Naruto who jerked away.



“I can do it, you bastard. Just give me a minute.” Naruto growled as his fingers began to immediately become tangled in his attempts.



Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Itachi’s almost dressed. You are going to wrinkle your tie if you keep messing with it.”



“Just one more try.” Naruto pouted, twisting the length of cloth in such a way, it came out more like a knot than a tie.



“Maybe we should have just gotten you a clip on.” Sasuke snapped, reaching for the edge of the tie.



“Enough you two.” Itachi said, finally stepping in to take the edges of bright orange cloth from Naruto’s fingers.



Years of perfection ingrained in Itachi had him creating the perfect neck tie in a matter of seconds. Sasuke just snorted. Naruto gave a much suffering sigh before shrugging into his jacket.



“Don’t pout.” Sasuke reprimanded as he slipped on his jacket as well.



“I don’t get why we are going with you, Itachi. I mean, I’m not really sure I’ll fit in with a bunch of businessmen. And what if one of them recognizes me?” Naruto fidgeted as they stepped from the apartment.



“Oh, I’m certain at least one person will recognize you tonight.” chuckled Itachi, urging Naruto down the hall with a hand on his back.



~*~



Sasuke, now able to get by with use of a cane instead of a crutch, hobbled slightly behind them. He rolled his eyes as he settled into the car beside Naruto. Itachi had something planned. His brother was in the habit of turning down every invitation to dinners such as this, usually only attending if it was pertinent for business.



It didn’t help that Naruto was anxious; Sasuke could practically smell his nervousness as the car began rolling down the road.



“Where’s Franz?” asked Naruto, referring to the new driver of the vehicle.



“He has the night off. Tonight, Kisame is our driver.” Itachi smiled.



“He looks kinda like one of those wrestlers on television.” Naruto commented, peaking through the window into the driver’s seat.



“Watch your mouth kid or I’ll bench press you.” The gruff answer from the front of the car had Naruto laughing.



“As if you could catch me.” Naruto crossed his arms, his anxiousness seemingly gone.



“Just because I’m not as young as you don’t mean I’m slow.” Kisame groused from behind the wheel.



Sasuke knew why Franz wasn’t driving them tonight. Itachi wasn’t taking any chances. He must think they might be exposed to danger tonight. Kisame was a bodyguard. Franz was getting too old to play the part of protector. Watching his brother from the corner of his eye, he tried to read Itachi. His face was a mask, nothing revealed. Something was going to happen tonight if he was putting on that face.



Sasuke’s mind swam with the possibilities. Itachi was a powerful man. Equally powerful people wanted what he had. It was only logical that he develop enemies during his business career. What Sasuke couldn’t figure out was why Itachi was bringing them? He preached their safety first but tonight was different. A statement to be made perhaps?



The car pulled up before the Michaels residence; a quite large house, mansion really, located in one of the more expensive parts of town. Sasuke didn’t think Michaels made enough revenue for the CEO to draw the type of salary this home would require.



“Michaels inherited a trust fund along with his company from his father.” Itachi said, almost as if reading Sasuke’s mind.



“I see. I didn’t think anyone but movie stars lived in houses like this these days.” Sasuke chuckled.



“Few do. His wife, however, is a bit of an attention seeker when it comes to these things.” Itachi informed as they approached the front door where a butler greeted the three.



“Poor bastard.” Sasuke muttered under his voice.



Itachi smirked. “Indeed. Shall we greet our host and hostess?”



The rooms of the house were filled with people, many Sasuke recognized from when his father was still alive. He limped along through the groups of conversing people as he trailed behind Itachi and Naruto. He couldn’t help but notice the looks of lust, jealousy, and malice directed at the three. It was common knowledge that Itachi was living with a blond young man. It was not common knowledge that he was also in an incestuous relationship with his brother.



They weaved their way through the crowds until reaching where Bernadette Michaels was holding court with her nervous looking husband at her side. Sasuke could practically feel the malice rolling off Itachi. His face held nothing but Itachi was his brother. He knew him and he could tell tonight was definitely more than simple business.



~*~



Itachi smirked as he and Naruto stepped towards their hosts. Two spots of red dotted on Bernadette’s cheeks as she glanced at the two. Her husband looked equally uncomfortable. He was fairly sure Michaels knew stock in his company was being purchased from share holders at an alarming rate. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if Michaels knew it was him.



“Uchiha.” Michaels said stiffly, holding out his hand.



Itachi took the hand before turning his gaze to Bernadette. “This is my brother, Sasuke and I’m sure you remember Naruto.”



Any embarrassment the woman might have felt must have left her to be replaced by pure anger. The thick makeup on her face did little to hide the crinkles around her eyes and lips as the smile dropped from her face.



“To what do we owe the honor of your visit, Mr. Uchiha.” she said through the forced smile on her face.



“Do I need a reason to accept an invitation from a fellow businessman?” Itachi asked, arching a perfectly formed brow.



“Invitation?” Her eyes turned to her husband.



“You don’t not invite Itachi Uchiha.” he hissed in her ear. “He usually declines them.”



Itachi turned his gaze from Bernadette to her husband. “I understand you have developed a new product, hence tonight’s festivities.”



“Yes…it’s a new gaming consol. We estimate that once it hits the market, Playstation 3, X-box 360, and the Wii will be blown away.” Michaels stated, his chest puffed out in pride.



Naruto, whose attention had lagged after the introductions, turned his eyes back to the discussion. “Games? How are you going to compete with them? Each has their own notch carved out in the game world. Sony is a powerhouse of electronics and the Playstation is literally a household name in most of the civilized world.”



Itachi arched a brow at Naruto. He also noticed Michaels interest in him. “You play games?”



“Yeah, Itachi bought me all the systems and games to go with them. I favor the Playstation but X-box has some good games. The Wii is a bit of a disappointment though.” Naruto chattered on, not paying attention to the hateful looks he was getting from Bernadette.



“I agree. That’s why our system will be virtual.” Michaels said.



“Like virtual reality?” asked Naruto, frowning.



Michaels grinned, looking like a kid. “Indeed. I’ve had our R & D department working on it for years. This system will make our company a household name.”



Itachi schooled his features, waiting to see what Naruto’s reply would be. He had his own questions but they would wait.



“Well, how are you going to market it? I know the average family wouldn’t be able to afford several thousand dollars worth of equipment and with something this new, I would imagine only the richest would be able to afford it, significantly reducing your gross income until another company found a way to reduce cost, thereby making your project obsolete.” Naruto explained, his brows drawn together.



Both Itachi and Sasuke’s brows rose to their hairline. Itachi had always known Naruto was smart but he didn’t realize just how much intelligence the other possessed until now.



Sasuke leaned over to whisper to Itachi. “Since when did Naruto know about business?”



“I can hear you, bastard. I’ve watched Itachi on the phone sometimes and read a few books.” Naruto crossed his arms, shooting Sasuke a pissed off glance.



“We’ve considered that. The hardware is only in the crawling stages. In a few months, we will hopefully have the cost of it at a more reasonable price for the average consumer.” Michaels said.



Itachi took that moment to smirk. “Mr. Michaels, while I am vastly interested in your business practices, I have other reasons for coming tonight. I think you and I should talk in private.”



“Very well.” His hand reached into a pocket and removed a white cloth to dab at the sweat already starting to dot his balding head. “This way.”



Itachi paused. “Mrs. Michaels, I suggest you join us. Sasuke, stay with Naruto.”



Naruto crossed his arms in a pout until Sasuke pointed him in direction of the buffet leaving Itachi to follow the other man to the library where he had an office. While Itachi looked down on such blatant shows of wealth, he had to respect the library. It was wall to ceiling books with a few smaller shelves tastefully arranged throughout.



“Impressive.” he commented, turning his attention to the other while ignoring the woman.



“Get to the point.” Bernadette interrupted, siding up to her husband.



“As you wish.” Itachi pulled a long envelope from his pocket to drop on Michaels’s desk. “It appears your wife has been spending her time looking for someone willing to…participate in illegal activities.”



“Excuse me?” The older man snatched up the folder from the desk, opening it and scanning the contents.



“Hn. Three months ago, my brother, Sasuke was involved in an accident that nearly killed him. Upon further investigation, it was discovered by the police that his car had been tampered with. No leads were found and the investigation staled. I called in a favor from an acquaintance and he investigated some leads. Would you like to know what he found?” Itachi settled in a chair, his fingers tapping methodically on the arm.



He could see the confusion in Michaels’s face while Bernadette went ghastly pale. Itachi’s eyes seemed to shine red in the lamplight as he crossed his legs at the ankle. “They found a trail leading to a certain two bit hack. The poor fool told his tale to my associates before they disposed of him. It seems the poor fool had no beef with me or Sasuke. In fact, he didn’t even know who I was. That was probably why he made the mistake he did.”



Itachi crossed his arms over his chest. “Before he met his end, however, he named the individual who paid for his services. Your account has been shown to having several moderately sized withdrawals around the time of the accident. I also have included in those documents, several eye witnesses who can testify to your wife having met with several shady individuals at a small diner several miles from here. It’s all circumstantial really but, here is my trump. I’ve noticed for several months that your sales have been less than stellar, forcing you to use your trust fund money to keep Michaels Inc afloat. This new system, if you can get it operational and into production, could more than cover what you had to spend. It would be a shame if you happened to be bought out by a larger, more powerful company.”



Michaels paled considerably to match his wife. “Are you trying to blackmail me?”



Itachi smiled, “No. I’m telling you. If you wife goes to the police and turns herself in as the instigator of Sasuke’s accident, I’ll make sure your virtual system goes to the market a success. If she doesn’t, I will bury you, and your virtual consol. I’ve bought up nearly all available stock, even from your major stockholders. It was very easy since Michaels Inc stock has been in the dregs for several months now. Those are your two options. You company’s success or your wife’s imprisonment? If you are lucky, she’ll only receive a mild sentence.” A fact Itachi would keep from happening.



“Bastard.” snarled Bernadette.



“I beg to differ. My parents were married upon my birth. Can you say the same, Bernadette Peabody? Do you even know your father’s name? It was listed as unknown on your birth certificate.” Itachi stood, nodding to the packet in the older man’s hand. “Everything is there in black and white. I suggest you consider well what to do. I will show no mercy as I tear apart the business your father worked to build. She is your wife and you are responsible for her actions.”



“Bastard!” Bernadette screamed, snatching a letter opener from the desk before charging Itachi, burying the sharp object in his back.



Itachi stumbled, not expecting a physical attack before swirling around to backhand her to the ground. Pain, followed by numbness rushed through his shoulder. His hand reached back to pull the object from his flesh. “I suppose we can add assault to me as added fuel for the police.”



Pulling his phone from his pocket, he pressed a button before bringing it to his ear. “Kisame. Come to the library. I require your assistance.”



There was a loud commotion in the other parts of the house before the library doors were swung open to reveal the tall man. Several people followed the commotion to find Itachi leaning against the wall, smearing blood from where it seeped from the wound in his back.



“Damn, Itachi. That bitch got you good. Want me to kill her?” Kisame said as he pulled the jacket from him to examine the wound.



Bernadette gaped at the large wrestler sized man. Her eyes grew impossibly wide as the concealed weapon at the base of his spine was revealed.



“Itachi!” Naruto raced into the room, followed by a limping Sasuke.



“It’s your choice. Do I need to call the police?” Itachi said through clenched teeth, his back was really starting to hurt.



“What do you get out of this?” Michaels asked, his hands gripping his wife’s arms tightly.



Itachi hissed as Kisame tied a pressure bandage over the wound. “Revenge. It is an added benefit that should you take my offer, I will be made insanely rich from owning such a large portion of your stock.”



“We need to take you to the hospital. This wound will require stitches.” Kisame said, supporting the other.



Itachi shook his head, wincing at the motion. “I have a doctor. Call him. Have him meet us at my apartment.”



“You mean Kabuto?” Sasuke cringed upon mentioning the man.



Itachi nodded, grateful for Kisame’s assistance in rising to his feet. “You have a week to turn yourself in. After that, I start taking over Michaels piece by piece until you haven’t a drop of money remaining.”



“You were stupid to turn your back on her.” Kisame muttered as he led the way.



Naruto remained silent and pale as he walked at Sasuke’s side. Itachi glanced towards the two before going back to Kisame. “I have another favor. I’ll call you with the information but this one will be more hands on for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”



“Sounds promising. You were the only one who had any fun tonight.” chuckled Kisame.



“Hn. I wouldn‘t call being stabbed fun.” he grunted lowering himself carefully to the seat of the car. Naruto and Sasuke climbed in after him. The drive home was made in silence.



~*~



“How is he?” Naruto asked, cringing at the blood stained towels Kabuto was shoving into an orange biohazard bag.



“He’s fine. I stitched up his shoulder, gave him a tetanus shot, and some pain killers.” Kabuto answered, taking the money Sasuke handed him.



Naruto rushed into the bedroom while Sasuke finished up with Kabuto. “Itachi?”



“Hmm?” he answered, his voice drowsy.



“Are you alright?” Naruto whispered, curling onto the bed to face Itachi.



“I’m fine. Were you worried?” he asked.



“I was! You were bleeding but acting like it was nothing. What if she had killed you? Sasuke and I would have been alone. I don’t want to be without you so please don’t do that anymore.” Naruto practically yelled, drawing Sasuke to the room.



“He’s right, you know.” said Sasuke. “Don’t risk yourself like that again. I’d rather not bury my brother. I’d run your company into the ground.”



“Don’t make me laugh. I’d leave the company to Naruto before you. He has a bit more of a business head that you.” Itachi chuckled, reaching up to tug Sasuke to the bed.



Sasuke snorted, “Yeah, you laugh now but I can just see you turning over in your grave when you see what Naruto does to your company. Can you just see the main office being painted a gaudy orange?”



“Orange is not gaudy!” Naruto growled.



“So, you are saying you would paint it orange, just not a gaudy orange.” Sasuke smirked, wincing at the smack Naruto planted on his hip.



“Alright you two. I’m injured. If you are going to fight, go do it in the other room.” Itachi chuckled, feeling Naruto cuddle up against his front while Sasuke pressed against his back while being careful of his bandaged shoulder.



“Your nightmares are next, Naruto.” Itachi whispered, causing Naruto’s eyes to flutter open.



“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.



Itachi smiled enigmatically, “You’ll see.”



To be continued.